Starting niacin supplement in water today, pigeon toed Pekin duckling - questions about supplementation & hobble.

[Unwittingchickenlady]

One of my Pekins is really wonky legged, he can get around but he spends most of his time sitting, I'm just double checking I'm doing this right:

So dump an ounce into a gallon of water and use that water as their water? It's ok for the other ducklings too, right? Is there a better/more effective way I could be doing this? I have a baby medication syringe as well.

I know the pictures are less than useful, but it's a relative idea, his legs jut out oddly at the hip and turn in front there. I think they're around three weeks old, we've started yard time, everyone's otherwise happy and healthy, will the niacin correct this or should I hobble him as well? Are there exercises I should be helping him rehab with or does it correct itself?

If I need to hobble him, does anyone have suggestions? Google returned a neat gizmo using a hair elastic and part of a drinking straw but that biddy had teeny matchstick legs and these Pekins have never skipped leg day.

Sorry for the barrage of questions, my other ducks grew up without issue, these Pekins have been a hot mess since we got them.

 

[Yardmom]

I have never had to add extra niacin, but I know that if one of your Perkins need it, it would be a good idea for all of them to get it. Hopefully someone with dosage knowledge will respond soon.

 

[DuneDucks]

Can't speak to how effective Rooster Booster is in treating niacin deficiencies in ducks, but sounds like you have a good idea of how it should be given. What kind of feed are they normally on?

Personally, I would get him started on some Vitamin B complex if you can. Below is the brand a lot of us use. You can usually find it at Tractor Supply Co or other farm/ranch stores. The bottle says injectable, but you can just put 1 mL over their favorite treat and feed it to them orally. You'll want to do that on a daily basis for a bit until you start seeing improvement. I'd probably give him a week or so on that before deciding if you should hobble him or not.

 

[Miss Lydia]

Vit B 12 isn't going to address niacin deficiency. But the liquid B complex will. When one is showing niacin deficiency the liquid B complex is the best there is. And should be given over a small treat so they get a full dose not watered down.

 

[Unwittingchickenlady]

Vit B 12 isn't going to address niacin deficiency. But the liquid B complex will. When one is showing niacin deficiency the liquid B complex is the best there is. And should be given over a small treat so they get a full dose not watered down.

Thank you so much.

I knew niacin was in the B family of vitamins, but not which one. The TSC guy recommended rooster booster when I said I was trying to correct a niacin deficiency in my ducklings.

I'll head back to TSC and get the B complex. I really appreciate the help. Do you think he'll need to be hobbled to correct the spread of his legs, or will this self correct with proper supplementation?

 

[Unwittingchickenlady]

Can't speak to how effective Rooster Booster is in treating niacin deficiencies in ducks, but sounds like you have a good idea of how it should be given. What kind of feed are they normally on?

Personally, I would get him started on some Vitamin B complex if you can. Below is the brand a lot of us use. You can usually find it at Tractor Supply Co or other farm/ranch stores. The bottle says injectable, but you can just put 1 mL over their favorite treat and feed it to them orally. You'll want to do that on a daily basis for a bit until you start seeing improvement. I'd probably give him a week or so on that before deciding if you should hobble him or not.

I use DuMor all stages duck crumbles under 6 weeks, then Nutrena NatureWise all flock pellets 6 weeks +

Thank you so much for the reply. I'm going to head back and grab the one you've recommended. I hope I don't have to hobble him.

 

[DuneDucks]

Nutrena NatureWise all flock pellets 6 weeks +

Pretty reputable brand as far as I know, but I tend to be skeptical of All Flock (any kind of feed really) that doesn't list niacin in its 'guaranteed analysis'. I found this from the product Q&A section on Tractor Supply's website.

"Question: how much niacin does this contain, it's not listed on the ingredients


Nutrena Product Expert 2 years ago
Answer: The Niacin levels are not guaranteed. We formulate the product to meet minimum requirements for birds listed on the product."

With that in mind, you may want to consider supplementing their feed with some brewer's or Nutrional yeast. Niacin requirements can vary between different sized breeds, big breeds like Pekin needing a bit more than others, so without knowing what the minimum requirements they used are I would err on the safe side and give them a bit extra.

 

[Unwittingchickenlady]

That's good to know, looks like the ducks are all getting brewer's yeast from now on just to be on the safe side.

Everything has gone well development and health-wise with my other ducks, but they're smaller breeds (2 KCs and 3 Cayugas) no leg deformities or angel wing, the KCs actually do a bit of flying. Peas are a steady extra in their diet, and everyone free ranges all day (2 acres) The chickens, ducks and guineas use the same feeders, so all flock just seemed like a smarter way to go.

 

[New duck mommy 2021]

I have a pekin and pekin cross
I give all my ducklings nutrition yeast 1tbs to 1 cup feed for first 10-12 weeks then after that I sprinkle it’s on the adult feed throughout the week not everyday
I keep vitamin B complex on hand at all times
I have given my babies 1mil to 4 cups water as an extra water every now and then
So far I haven’t had one duckling with leg issues
I have hatched a few batches
But once a duckling shows signs of niacin issues then doing what @Miss Lydia says is key
They need it directly
When giving meds I will use a grape cut it in half and pull the insides out add the medicine and they gobble it up
Or make them scrambled eggs then take just a little portion and put it on the egg so the baby eats it up then I give the rest of the egg
Remember this will be a long process so don’t give up after a few days. You may need to give the B complex for 2 or more weeks to correct it. Good news is if caught early it can be treated and corrected

 

[Miss Lydia]

I have to buy chicken feed here since I have a mixed flock and I use Nutritional yeast over their feed even my adults. The Liquid B complex is when one has a deficiency already started.
Can you post video so we can see how he stands or tries to walk that will help us help you decide if hobbling is warranted?